The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-06-02
Observance of Decoration Day by
Mower Post, Grand Army
of the Republic.

where bullets and halls were more reeolute stlll
And many brave men
Dropped DEAD at the foot of a hill"
Joseph A. Mower post No. 10, Grand
Army of the Republic, alone did honor to
he day yesterday, and tenderly and truly
paid tribute to the friend and the former
foe alike. The members of the post met
at their hall, corner of Pecan and Brazos
streets, at O'Clock for the purpose of
commemoratiug the day.
Acting Commander. R. B. Underhill
called the meeting to order, and the usual
services of the day were held.
Prof. j. j. Anderson delivered feeling
speech appropriate to the occasion, clos
ing it with the following lines:
Flowers for the "Blue and Grey"
Who sleep till the dawn of day,
When the bugle shall call to the last review,
The boys in Grey and the boys in Blue.
Flowers to fill the chasm of tears,
And blood of all the former years;
Flowers for those who conquered peace,
Who purchased for all our woes surcease
Flowers for the comrade gone before,
Wen Join them soon on the other shore;
The van is glorious in the distant light,
Let the rear march up with their armor bright.
j. j. ANDERSON.
Judge j. P. Richardson then delivered
the following address which was listened
to with rapt attention:
SIT has been said that "history repeats itself, y
and within certain broad CONGRATULATIONS It Is true
but each step in the progress OF humanity ID
marked by higher reach in Its wave or improve
ment, and though each wave runs little back
ward, there is steady rise in the tue OF clviliza-
hon tn I'm
up their lives for the noblest cause tnat ever en-
listed human sympathy, prevents something new,
something unique in history All over our broad
country, from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific,
from the st. Croix to the Rio Grande, men and
women unite, disTegarding the bonds of sect and
party to lay tribute of respect upon the graves OF
those martyrs of liberty who died that the great ex
ample of government OF the people, by the people
and for the people, should not be lost to the world
am not one of those who would keep alive the an
imosities of the war; nor would say one word In
disrespect of those who honestly took the wrong
eide of the controversy and fought for 1t with d
vaor worthy of better cause"
This is no time or occasion to reopen old sores;
but it is we'll for US to keep In mind the principle
at issue In the greatest struggle of modern times,
and teach to our children and cur children 8 chill
dren to the end of time the great moral and patri
otto lesson of the war involved. Our great civil
war was not a mere struggle for power, between
political parties, prompted by the ambition of in
divlduals. 1t was war of ideas. 1t was death
grapple between live progressive civilization on
one hand and dead and rotten conservatism on
the other between human freedom and the right
to life liberty aud happiness; of representation In
| the government by right of manhood on one side
and the perpetuation of the feudaliem of the dark
ages on the other. 1t was struggle in which botf
sides were to be blessed in the triumph of the
national cause, and human rights and human
freedom were to be set back thousaI
years by the euccess of the rebellion
clearly than the thinking men of the south, VIII.
bravely but mistakenly put forth their utmost eff
forts to destroy the gov rnment that has for {
hundred years been the hope of every friend o.
human progress in the civilized world.
Brave men they were who, under the flag of the
Confederacy, charged at Malvern Hill, Chicka
muagua, and Gettysburg; who in hundred battle
illustrated the native valor OF the American soldier
! Mistaken as we must consider them, we honor thei
galantry nd devotion to q cause they believed u
be right and just, and to-day we lay our wreatl
upon the graves of those who wore the gray, q
tendery as upon those of our comrades who wor
the blue. We claim them all as men in whom W
have a national pride aud national glory. w
clasp hands with all those who survive the blood
contest, and welcome them to the blessings OF
free, united and glorious republic, to eqaal righI
and prosperous future.
The cause for which man has fought through
long four years-eepecially If that cause is lost
will always have warm place in his heart and w
can have no contention with the ex-Confederat
who publicly proclams that as he believed he wa
right during the war, go he still believes he wa
right We coneede the ed force ts OF SENT emu
the eternal verites of TRUTH right and justice. Twc
hundred years ago, the cavaliers OF England
adhered to the fortunes of the Stuarts, who ha'
stood in arms for that fallen family, In obedience
to their convictions of right and loyal duty Stil
through the long years, till the end OF their lives
when they drank to the health OF the king-paese
their wine over cup of water, to signify that the
drank to the king over the water-in exile. Blu
England holds no more loyal subjects of Quee
Victoria now, than the descendants of those sam
III lnu nf
Furnishes man for his outspOken convictions, o
feelings, and we may safely trust to time and tn
inexorabe logic of events to establish right an
justice.
"Ever the right comes uppernost, and ever
justice done"
But there is another aspect to our great natione
crisis, another lesson for our politicians to TAX
into their calculations for the future of IN
country; and that is the inherent loyalty of GU
people to the old flag and the institutions 1t repre-
SCENTS. Not merely a conviction that our govern
ment is the best the world ever seen, an
that its policy is always right and worth
of being sustained, but loyalty of sentiment q
pure and upspringing, an emotion as tender an
loving as that of a son for his mother. That sen
tment which greeted the old flag with sky rinl
ing cheers, when 1t was run'to the mast head t
announce that treason threatened its galaxy G
stars; that sentiment which rallied million {
brave hearts and strong hands, without regard Z
party or creed, and inspired them to crowd the wa
10 death as men crowd to q festival; that sent
ment winch DrdCeu up THEIR 0ehTlb anu blItHElutu
ed their limbs to tread the fields of the south lik
wine press, that blazed in their eyes at the Sigh
of an enemy and lent music to their voices In th
shout of victory. Hereafter that sentiment mu:
be taken into account when politicians calculat
the strength of party discipline; and never agai
will any man dare attempt the ends OF party or th
promptings of ambition, by striking at the o!
flag.
But our duty to-day, is with the dead Conform
ing to customs and law, which has made this th
hottest day of all the year, we come with reVereI
steps TO lay our tribute of respect and love on th
graves of those whose freely offered sacrifice o
the alter of their country was accepted And this
not alone for the few whose duet mingles with tn
soil of this little cemetary our Offering is 70 all thos
who gave up their hyes, all the battlefelds 9
the war, all those who sleep in unknown and M
marked graves, from the Potomac to the III
; Grande If II Oe true-and who will controyert
that the highest and noblest sacrifice that ma
can make for man. be that he shall give up his III
) for him, then have our union dead fairly won an
richly deserved the crown of martyrdom. III
freed bondman, stardiDg upon his broken chair
shall call down blessings on their memory, and I'll
no iess emancipated master, when the passions Ell
gendered by the conflict shall have passed away an
reason opened his eyes 10 the light Of higher ci
ilyation ehall gratefully sound their praises an
rejoice in his deeds.
To thOse of us who stood in the battles froI
with them and felt the last touch OF their elbow
ere they fell-who closed the gap in the ranks, bI